"The burden of Egypt"

Synopsis

On their way to Tzipori, Rabbi Elazar, Rabbi Aba, and Rabbi Yosi encounter a Jew who quotes the title verse and then asks them why God Himself came into Egypt, rather than simply exercising His will from above. The reason, we are told, is that God came for the sake of the Shechinah, to raise Her up, as He would do when the Roman captivity of the children of Yisrael ended. God did not go to the Shechinah during Her exile with the children of Yisrael in Babylon because of their sins. In Egypt, however, they remained pure. Whosoever holds the children of Yisrael captive becomes accountable to God, and He punishes their supernal representatives and those who worship them below. God punished Egypt severely, in spite of the relatively good treatment given to the children of Yisrael at first. We may therefore conclude that all the nations who have oppressed the children of Yisrael will receive punishment, including Rome and Assyria - the nation that "oppressed them without cause" and stole their land.

Relevance

In truth, we are ill-equipped to triumph over the dark and self-centered tendencies that dominate our desires. We do not have the power or discipline to confront and conquer our Evil Inclination. Then again, we are not expected to.

Rather, the Kabbalists teach us that the ultimate purpose of life is to evolve an awareness and, consequently, a deep hatred toward our errant and self-indulgent ways. When our realization and revulsion is far greater than our love for selfishpleasure, then God himself will enter our hearts and our very being to destroy every trace of negativity and selfishness that taints our soul.

Accountability and recognition of one's own faults is perhaps the most difficult attribute a person can evolve. Our natural tendency is to block out any consciousness of our immoral qualities. We find it easier to consider ourselves blameless victims. This distorted view is not our conscious intent, for our blindness is real. Nonetheless, disposing of the blinders is the point of our existence. We achieve that here and now, as we peruse these powerful verses.

The Light of the Creator enters our very being to destroy Egypt (our ego), freeing us forever from the limitations and pain caused by a vain and selfish existence.

Cloud Daniel Earth Egypt Heaven Idolatry

89. Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Yosi were journeying from Tiberias to Tzipori. While they were walking, a Jew met them and said, "The burden of Egypt. Behold, Hashem rides on a swift cloud and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at His presence" (Yeshayah 19:1). Come and behold, All the kings of the world and all the nations of the world are considered as nothing before the Holy One, blessed be He, as is written, "And all the inhabitants of the earth are considered as nothing: and He does according to His will in the host of heaven" (Daniel 4:32). Here in Egypt, despite all these acts of power and the raised hand that the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed, it is written, "Behold, Hashem rides upon a swift cloud and shall come into Egypt." What is the difference? This was not so by all the nations of the world, rather the Holy One, blessed be He, ordered a decree and it was done. Yet here IN EGYPT, He Himself came TO CARRY PUNISHMENT UPON THEM, as is written, "And shall come into Egypt," and, "I will pass over the land of Egypt... I am Hashem" (Shemot 12:12).

89. רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְרִבִּי אַבָּא וְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי, הֲווֹ אַזְלֵי מִטְּבֶרְיָא לְצִפּוֹרִי, עַד דַּהֲווּ אַזְלֵי, פָּגַע בְּהוּ חַד יוּדָאִי, פָּתַח וְאָמַר, מַשָּׂא מִצְרָיִם הִנֵּה ה' רוֹכֵב עַל עָב קַל וּבָא מִצְרַיִם וְנָעוּ אֱלִילֵי מִצְרַיִם מִפָּנָיו. תָּא חֲזֵי, כָּל מַלְכִין דְּעָלְמָא, וְכָל עַמִּין דְּעָלְמָא, לָא חֲשִׁיבֵי כְּלוּם קָמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דִּכְתִּיב, וְכָל דַּיְּירֵי אַרְעָא כְּלָא חֲשִׁיבִין וּכְמִצְבְּיֵהּ עָבֵיד בְּחֵיל שְׁמַיָּא. וְהָכָא בְּמִצְרַיִם, אַף עַל גַּב דְּכָל אִינּוּן גְּבוּרָאן, וְדַרְעָא מְרֹמְמָא גַּלֵי קוּדְשָׁא ב"ה בְּמִצְרַיִם, מַה כְּתִיב הִנֵּה ה' רוֹכֵב עַל עָב קַל וּבָא מִצְרַיִם. מַאי שְׁנָא, בְּכָל עַמִּין דְּעָלְמָא, דְּלָא הֲוָה הָכִי, דְּהָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא גָּזַר גְּזֵרָה וְאִתְעָבֵיד, וְהָכָא אִיהוּ אָתָא, דִּכְתִּיב וּבָא מִצְרַיִם. וּכְתִיב, וְעָבַרְתִּי בְאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם וְגוֹ' אֲנִי ה.'

Edom Exile Shechinah

90. אֶלָּא, בְּגִין דְּמַלְכָּא הֲוָה אָתֵי, לְאַפָּקָא לְמַטְרוֹנִיתָא דַּהֲוַות תַּמָּן. וּבְגִין יְקָרָא דְּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא הֲוָה אָתֵי. וְעַל דָּא הֲוָה קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בָּעֵי בִּיקָרָהּ, וְאָתֵי לְגַבָּהּ לַאֲקָּמָא לָהּ, וּלְמֵיהַב לָהּ יְדָא, וּלְזַקְפָא לָהּ, כְּמָה דְּזַמִּין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמֶעְבַּד בְּסוֹף גָּלוּתָא דֶּאֱדוֹם.

Babel Babylon Brit (Covenant) Covenant (Brit) Egypt Exile Miracle Sin Tribes Women

91. Rabbi Yisa said, If it be so, THAT THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, CAME TO EGYPT because of the Queen, why was it not also thus in the exile of Babylon when the Queen was also there? He said to him, We have learned that the sin caused it, because they married foreign women, and they brought the Holy Covenant into foreign domain. Therefore, the miracles and signs were lost from them that should have been done for them. Not so in the exile of Egypt where they were all the Tribes of Yah. The children of Yisrael came INTO EXILE and the children of Yisrael left EXILE, MEANING WITHOUT SIN.

91. אָמַר רִבִּי יֵיסָא, אִי הָכִי, דִּבְגִין דְּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא הֲוָה, הָא בְּגָלוּתָא דְּבָבֶל, מַטְרוֹנִיתָא תַּמָּן הֲוַת, אֲמַאי לָא הֲוָה כַּךְ. אָמַר לֵיהּ, הָא תָּנֵינָן, דְּחַטָּאָה גָּרַם, דְּנָטְלוּ נָשִׁים נָכְרִיּוֹת, וְאָעִילוּ בְּרִית קַיָּימָא קַדִּישָׁא בִּרְשׁוּתָא אָחֲרָא. וּבְגִין כַּךְ אִתְאֲבִידוּ מִנְּהוֹן נִסִּין, וְאַתְוָון, דְּאִתְחָזֵי לְמֶעְבַּד לְהוּ, מַה דְּלָא הֲוָה הָכִי בְּגָלוּתָא דְּמִצְרַיִם, דְּכֻלְּהוּ הֲווֹ שִׁבְטֵי יָהּ, בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עָאלוּ, בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל נָפְקוּ.

Edom Exile Jerusalem Matron

92. בְּגָלוּתָא דֶּאֱדוֹם, בָּעֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאִתְיַקְּרָא בְּעָלְמָא, וּלְמֵיתֵי אִיהוּ לְאַקָּמָא לְמַטְרוֹנִיתָא, וּלְנַעֲרָא לָהּ מֵעַפְרָא. וַוי לְמַאן דִּיעֲרַע תַּמָּן קָמֵיהּ, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּיֵימָא הִתְנַעֲרִי מֵעָפָר קוּמִי שְׁבִי יְרוּשָׁלַיִם הִתְפַּתְּחִי מוֹסְרֵי צַוָּארֵךְ. מַאן הוּא מַלְכָּא וְעַמָּא דְּיֵיקוּם קָמֵיהּ.

Egypt Grades Idolatry Stones

93. וְנָעוּ אֱלִילֵי מִצְרַיִם מִפָּנָיו, אֱלִילֵי מִצְרַיִם, לָאו עַל אֲבָנִין וְאָעִין אִתְּמַר, אֶלָּא עַל כָּל אִינּוּן דַּרְגִּין מְמָנָן עִלָּאִין, וְעַל אִינּוּן פּוּלְחָנִין תַּתָּאִין דִּלְהוֹן. וּבְכָל אֲתָר דְּגָלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בָּעֵי עָלַיְיהוּ, וְאִתְקָבִיל מֵאִינוּן עַמִּין.

Animals Assyrians Egypt Egyptians Exile Judgment

94. Come and behold, it is written, "Thus said Hashem, 'My people went down aforetime to Egypt to sojourn there, and Ashur oppressed them without cause'" (Yeshayah 52:4). THIS IS the complaint that the Holy One, blessed be He, made against Assyria. He said, 'See what Assyria has done to Me. To Egypt, upon whom I have rendered all these punishment, My people descended to sojourn among them, and the Egyptians accepted them among them, and gave them the best of the land, which is the land of Goshen. Even though the Egyptians persecuted them in exile, they did not take away the land from them, as is written, "Only in the land of Goshen where the children of Yisrael were..." (Shemot 9:26). It was the best part of the land of Egypt, as is written, "In the best part of the land in the land of Ramses" (Beresheet 47:11), WHICH WAS IN GOSHEN. Moreover, they caused them no loss, as is written, "But of the cattle of the children of Yisrael..." (Shemot 9:6). SO WE SEE THAT THEY DID NOT STEAL THEIR ANIMALS, yet still altogether they were punished with many punishments.

94. תָּא חֲזֵי, מַה כְּתִּיב, כֹה אָמַר ה' מִצְרַיִם יָרַד עַמִּי בָרִאשׁוֹנָה לָגוּר שָׁם וְאַשּׁוּר בְּאֶפֶס עֲשָׁקוֹ תּוּרְעֲמָא דְּאִתְרְעַם קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עַל אַשּׁוּר, וְאָמַר, חָמוּ מַה עָבֵד לִי אַשּׁוּר, דְּהָא מִצְרַיִם דַּאֲנָא עֲבָדִית בְּהוּ כָּל אִינּוּן דִּינִין, וְעַמִּי נַחְתּוּ תַּמָּן, לְדַיָּירָא בֵּינֵיהוֹן, וְקִבְּלוּם מִצְרָאֵי בֵּינַיְיהוּ, וְיָהֲבוּן לוֹן שְׁפַר אַרְעָא אֶרֶץ גּוֹשֶן, ואע"ג דְּאָעִיקוּ לוֹן בְּגָלוּתָא, לָא אַעְדוּ אַרְעָא מִנְּהוֹן, דִּכְתִּיב, רַק בְּאֶרֶץ גּוֹשֶן אֲשֶׁר שָׁם בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגוֹ.' וּמֵיטַב אַרְעָא דְּמִצְרַיִם הֲוָה, דִּכְתִּיב בְּמֵיטַב הָאָרֶץ בְּאֶרֶץ רַעְמְסֵס. וְתוּ, דְּלָא אַעְדּוּ מִדִּלְהוֹן כְּלוּם, דִּכְתִּיב וּמִמִּקְנֵה בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגוֹ.' ועכ"ד אִתְדָּנוּ בְּכַמָּה דִּינִין.

Assyrians Edom Egypt Egyptians Redemption and Salvation

95. "And Ashur oppressed them without cause." For they cast them in a land at the end of the world, and took away their land. Now the Egyptians, who had done so many favors for Yisrael, were punished with so many punishments. Then Ashur, Edom and the other nations that oppressed them, and killed them, and took away their money would most certainly be punished. For the Holy One, blessed be He, desired to glorify His Name over them, as is written, "I will magnify Myself and sanctify Myself and I will make Myself known" (Yechezkel 38:23). This happened in Egypt with one king, and IN THE COMPLETE REDEMPTION THAT WILL COME ABOUT, it will be with all the kings of the world.

95. אֲבָל אַשּׁוּר בְּאֶפֶס עֲשָׁקוֹ, אַטִּיל לוֹן בְּאַרְעָא דְּסַיְיפֵי עָלְמָא, וְנָטַל לוֹן אַרְעָא דִּלְהוֹן. וּמַה מִצְרָאֵי, דְּעָבְדֵי כָּל הָנֵי טָבָאן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, אִתְדָּנוּ בְּכָל אִינּוּן דִּינִין. אַשּׁוּר וֶאֱדוֹם וּשְׁאַר עַמִּין, דִּמְעִיקִין לוֹן, וְקַטְלִין לוֹן, וְנַטְלִין לוֹן מָמוֹנֵיהוֹן, עאכ"ו דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בָּעֵי לְיַקָּרָא שְׁמֵיהּ עָלַיְיהוּ, דִּכְתִּיב וְהִתְגַּדַּלְתִּי וְהִתְקַדַּשְׁתִּי וְנוֹדַעְתִּי. הָתָם בְּמִצְרַיִם בְּמַלְכָּא חַד, וְהָכָא בְּכָל מַלְכִין דְּעָלְמָא.